Firearm.



J. KEITH & M. L. BRISTOL.

l HRBARM.

APPLIUATION FILED DBO. 22, 1908. l

930,865, Y y I Patented Aug.1o,19o9.

"UNITED sTaTnsg AT orricn.

JOHN KEITH, OF HARTFORDL'ANO MORTIMER L. BRISTOL, OFk WEST HARTFORD,

CONNECTICUT.

No. 931x865.-

Moiz'ii'iri-:R L. Biiis'roii, citizens'of the United States, residing Aat Hartford and West Hartford, respectively, in the county of Hartford andi State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Firearm, of wliichithe following is a specification.

This-invention relates to automatic lire arms of that' class which operate on the blow back principle. Heretofore, automatic` recoil operated fire arms have been constructed' either with suiiicient mass in the breech-block unit toprevent too early opening of the cartridge chamber, or with some mechanism or lock which prevents any relative movement between the barrel and .breechLblock during the firstv part of the reeoiling movement. l

The object of this invention is to produce an automatic fire arm of very light weight compared with other arms using the same ammunition and of very simple construc. tion,`and one that will operate accurately with lighter cartridges than have heretofore been= used in automatic fire arms.. To accomplish this the inertia of the barrel is utilized to assist that of the breech-block in resisting the cartridge chamber, and also in completing that opening movement.

This invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings as embodied in an automatic pistol, but it will be understood that its different `features are applicable to other classes of fire arms.

Figure` l of the drawings shows a side elevation of the. pistol with the hammer isoY in its normal position and closing the cartridge chamber] Fig. 2 is a central vertical section showing the hammer in its normal position closinglthe cartridge chamber and the firing pinfllgn central verticah'section of the same showing the hammer raised'ready to fire. Fig. 4 is a partial sectionl showing the trigger and connecting parts inthe positions which they occupy after firing and before the trigger is released'. Fig. 5 is a partial sectional view showing the hammer in the position which it occupies after being lowered by the thumb andwith the firing pin in safe position.

Fig. 6 is a' section of the magazine' showing a' cartridge before firing and a cartridge case after' firing, with the head of the latter too early opening of .the

firing position. Fig. 3 is a- Specication of Letters Patent. Application led December 22,- 1908. Serial' No. 468,747'.

Patented. Aug. 10, 1909.

Fig. 7 is a top view o the magazine.`

The frame 1 of the pistol shown -in the drawings is of nearly uniformthickness, and in closes and supports the movable barrel 2 and recoil spring 3 which surroundsthe forward end of the barrel and thrusts between a shoulder on thebarrel and the end of the frame in such a manner as to tend to force the barrel backwardly. The iear part of the frame is formed into a hollow handle or grip, in which the magazine 4', the trigger 5, and the sea-r 6 and connector 7, hammer 8 and levers 9, which connect the hammer and the barrel, are arranged and supported.

There are two similar levers 9 pivoted on the pin 10 which is fixed in the frame, and projecting from the sides of the barrel near the breech are studs ll which extend into oblong slots 12 in the upper ends of the levers 9,'which embrace the rear end of the barrel. The hammer consistsof two similar arms 13 pivoted on the pin 14 that is ixed inl the frame, and the breech-block 15 that is pivotally attached to the arms by the pin 16. The arms 13 are preferably formed of sheet metal in one piece with their upper ends uniting and forming a cap 17 which conforms to the contour of the frame, and

they extend downwardly at suiiicientdistance apart to permit the magazine to pass between them. The hammer arms are connected with the lower ends of the levers 9 by studs 18 which are fixed to the arms and project intoslots 19 in the levers. As a result of this construction the forward movement of the barrel causes a rearward movement of the hammer and vice versa.

The breech-block which is pivotally connected with the hammer arms near their upper folded part is shaped to allow it a limited oscillatory movement in a vert-ical plane, and at its rear end it has a projecting thumb piece 20. The firing pin 2l projects from the front face of the breech-block andthe spring 22 yieldiiigly holds the front face' of the breech-block in its lowest positionfand in that position the firing pin, wheiithe fulminate charged part of the cartridge and explode it. If the hammer is lowered with the thumb onl the thumb piece lie breech- 'block is tilted up and this raises the firing pin so that it will rest above-the edge of the hammer is thrown forward, willstrikefthe:

deformed and escapin4 from the magazine.

t'artritlge, as shown in Fig. ln that "safe poaition the cartridge Cannot he ezt' plodetl. eren though the pistol talla or a hlow is imparted to the ha miner. llt/'hen the ham nier its again raised and the thunih 'netwure retnoretl. the spring; tlepresaen the forward ei'i'tl ot' the in-eeeh-hloel; and the tiring; pin assumes tiring pt'isiition.

.'lhe-aeart'i is pivotetl helow the harret on the pin 23 whieh is tixetl in the traine. llie sea r has a downwardly extend-ing arin whieh at its lower end has a short forwardly e5:- tent'lingr lug' 2i. The trigger which is also pivoted on the pin 23, is desirahly tornietl from Sheet. metal lient so that ita aides provide a recetas for the spring; Q5 whieh is arranged to thrust between the tletent end ot' the Sear and the lower and forwardly ere ltending end of the liell-eranl{-sli:\ped eonneetor 7, which has a pin .26 that extentie4 through' it and into slots 27 in the levers that Connect the barrel and the hammer. 'lhe t-onneetor which is loosel)7 pivot'ed hetween the levers has an upwardly extending arm with a short rearwardly projecting lug' ietwat the top. then the lugr 28 on the upper end of the connectoriS in front ot the tu;r J4 on the lower entl ot' the Sear, it tilla the Space between the. rear edgesl of the trigger and the lower end of the Sear. 'VVith the parts in this relation Vt Fie. 3),':1 pull on the tr f {ger is tranSniittetl tlrough the upper end of the eonneetor to the lower end ot' the Sear in auch manner that the s-ear is turned on its pivot pin and the detent end withdrawn 'from a noteh Sl in the underside ot' v the barrel in whit-h it rests while retaining` `the barrel in its forward position. This releases the barrel and allowsl itl to he lort'etl haekwardlj,7 hy the ret-oil spring. When the eonnector is raised so that the lug 2H is higher than the lug,r '-l the Sear is tree to turn under the aetion ot the spring' 5 until its tletent end rests1 in the noteli in the harrel (Fig. 4).

We are aware that 't'o1": e\'eral .veal-a a uietrhaniani has heen in use in a lire arni whereby a reeiproeating hart-ei` is arrested in its forward position hy a paa'l whit-h re- 1 leasest ity when the trigger more.`v Atorwartl.

i hut it will he, ohaervetl that in our invention the. rearward I'a'esaure on the trigger tauat-.k4 the release ot' the harrel.

'l`lit tiii:i 'a'/,itie is eoniptwetl ol" the hotl 4l, the leaf Hiring Il() atiat'lietl to the haelt. the eoil spring Ill arranged within it. and thespring follower :l2 whit-h ist thrust upwardly h v the eoil lpi-intll l'or lititinl;r the cartridges. 'lhe hotly of the magazine iS yZ/iivotallyy niountetl on a pin Il?, fastened in the traine, and it is eonnet'tetl with the haaiA lne!" arinal hetween whith it extendhy studs Il-lV yi'hith projeet lrtun the arner into slots Il?) in the sides olE the lituliy ol' the inag'- :r/,intn 'l`lle hotly-ol' the magazine as shown oatmeal in Fig. T is ratinhtiuliular in erosft Flection with the front aide open. ln the rear of the tul'iular part` of the magazine hotly a tee- Shapetl groove ltn receiving and guiding the eartritlgfe lieatla antl the apriin;r t'ollower. rlhe tuhular portion guides the t'oil spring whitzh `vieltla` as thtt'artritlgefs are plated in the magazine troni thetop and then 'fort-es theiu upward aa that the uppermost' one is heltl in position to enter the elianiher in the harrel h v the 'for 'artlly heut end tlt ot the haitl eprint),l that if' attaehetl to the hack of the magazine hotly. The rear wall of the, niag 'axinfll hotljtv is eut away at the top so that the lea l spring hear. agrainat the :artritlge head4 and yields untler the rearward preasure tlue to the tiring' ot' attatrlritlgzie7 thul allowing;r ,the ret'oil energ)v to hetransniittetl to the hannner. .\n opening 257 is made in the upper entl ot' the leaf spring to allow the tiring;- pin to reaeh the cartridge heatl.

The hlow ot the tiring pin on the upper edge of the eartritlge heatl together with the hulging ot' the rear end et' the head, tlue to the present-e ot' the exploding gases otl the powder. as the tiring pin is somewhat longand there is a small space. left between.

the haelt' ot the head and front of the haninier` etrange the shape ol the cartridge enough so that after tiring the shell will not he retained in the niagzazlne by the Stop 3G, lult will he toreetl out hy the pressure of the lit'ting spring aeting on the t'artritlge below, as shown in Fie'. t,

ln uae the tiet-ion is as followaz Raise or draw haek the hannuer Vtill the seat rests in the noteh in the undersidev of the harrel antl retainy the harrel in its forward pose tion and the hammer eoeketl. The head of' eaeh' eartritlge is passed heneath the stop at `the upper entl ol' the spring that is atlat-hetl to the haek ot the magazine and then pushed t-lownwartl with they rini in the groove ot the magazine until the 4top eau more toi-ward and projeet ahove and en" gage the tartritlgre heatl. llhis is repeated until the magazine is l'ull. .\ll ofthe parts are now in the poaitions shown in Fig. il anti the pistol is`loatletl ready to fire. lL\ haeltward pull ou the trigger presses rearward the eonneetor whieh turns thel Sear ou ita` pin and eausea the detent entl ol the aear to he withdrawn l'roin the holding' nott'h in the harrel. 'l`he harrel then mores rearwartl under the pressure ot' the ret-oil Spring, and as it doel the magazine mores `l'orwartl :intl a t'artritllL'e lit-thrust into the ehnnlher in the hreet'h. 'l`he inoreuunt ol' the levers whit-li tonnett the harrel and the hanitnel. a1-r the hai-rel nauw: liatltwartl. earrier: the pin 2t', and eonaetpu-utly Athe t-onueetor u1- wartl until the la; 2h is `no longer in front i'ree to rotate an in'eseetl .forward hy the` llt lill

"iwhich rises to afposition for .enterin lstrikes and explodes the cartridge.

- mer meetl just as a cartridgeis fully seated in the chamber, at which time the ring e eaect of the discharge is to move. the barrel I'forward and the hammer rearward. As theA herinner moves rearward the case of the exploded cartridge is extracted by the mag- `az1ne, and as soon as free from the barrel is ejected by the cartridge next under lit t e chamber. l.The forward movement o the barret'tuns levers connected therewith on their axes and carries up the -slot in which the 'pin projecting from the connector traveis, thus leaving the connector free to be moved downward as soonl as the lug 28 is released from the lug 24a The detent end ot the bari-el as soon as the barrel reaches barrel from moving rearward. However, the trigger is not yet released, the parts being in the positions shown in Fig. 4. The

pin 26 is now at the upper end of the slots 27 inthe levers -9 and the lug 28 is above the f lug 24u, which prevents the connector from moving downward. When the trigger is released the downward pressure of the spring 25 on the arm of the connector first rotates the connector on the pin 26k and withdraws the lng 28 from the lug 24 and'then moves the connector bodily downward, the pin sliding in the slots and permitting this.

This places the connector in thfnpositionshown in` Fig. 3 with the lug 28l in front of the lug 24C. Ally the parts are novv in such positions that a pressure on the trigger produces a repetition of the above cycle of movements;

The invention is not limited to the specific detailsof construction herein shown and described, nor to a pistol, for the invention is applicable to rifles and other forms of fire The invention claimed is:v

l. In. a tire arm, the combination of a frame, a reciprocating barrel, a breech-block whichv moves. coincidently -with the barrel, but in the opposite direction, and a Sear arranged to arrest they. barrel in its forward position. y i

2. In a fire arm, the combination of a reciprocating barrel, a sear which retains the barrel in its forward position, atrigger, a connector arranged between the trigger and parts are in position to tire, a rearward modesde@ iframe, a reciprocating barrel, a lever pivoted-in the frame and oscillated by the move-l frame, a reciprocating barrel, a lever pivot- 9 of the scar enters the notch inthe underside :ment of the barrel, and'a hammer which its forward position and thus prevents the frame, a reciprocating barrel, a breech-block,

.breech-block, an

, breech-block will cause the latter to so move that when pressure is applied for loweringl tion of the trigger is transmitted through the connector tothe scar Aand the barrel released, said connector being moved by the closing movement of the barrel so that the scar is released from theA control of the 7 trigger. K

3. In a re arm, the combination of a frame, a reciprocating barrel supported by the frame, a scar for holding the barrel fcl- Ward and `the parts in cocked position, a v trigger supported in said frame, a connector arranged to alternately connect thetrigger and sear and release thetrigger from the sear, and a singlespring returning the trigger, sear and connector to their normal positions.

4. In a fire arm, the combination of a ment of the barrel, a trigger supported in 8 the frame, a sear and 'a connector between the trigger and the sear, said connector being' supported and carried byv said lever.

'5. In a fire arm, the'combination of a ed in the frame and oscillated by the moveis moved`from cocked position to striking po'sitionand vice versa by the oscillations of said lever.

6..In a fire arm, the combination of a and means connecting the barrel and breechblock so' that when the barrel moves in onev direction the breech-block moves in the opi posite direction.

7. In a re arm, the combination of a frame, a. reciproca-tin barrel, a lever ivoted in'said frame an oscillated by t ereciprocating movement of the barrel, and a breech-block which is moved from closed position to open position and vice versa by the oscillations of said lever.

8. In a fire arm, the combination of a hammer, a breech-block pivotally carried thereby, a iringcpin rigidly mounted in said means normally retaining the breech-block `with. the firing. pin in line with the explosive portion of a cartridge, said'breech-block being so held by the hammer that pressure applied to the breechblock when lowering. the hammer and that the point of the firing pin is out of line with the ex losive portion of the cartridge.

9. In a re arm, the combination of a frame, a reciprocating barrel, a hammer, a lever connecting said barrel and said hammer so that the hammer and barrel move synchronously, and a breech-block carrying a firing in pivotally mounted in said hammer, said breech-block being rovided with a thumb piece for raising an( loweringthe hammer, said thumb'piece being so a'rrangerl of a cartridge.

i supported by aie hammer ai@ point lof aie firing pin.' is moved out. of line Wit-li the explosive portion 10. Ina hre arm in combination, a ma gazine, and means connected with the magazine,said means being shaped to retain cartridges with heads ot normal shape in the magazine and release cartridges having heads-deformed as a result ot tiring.

11. In a lire arm, the combination of a frame. a barrel arranged to be carried forward by the force of the discharge, a spring for carrying the barrel rearward, a magazine niovably mounted in the frame, and means adapted to move the magazine rearward and extract a cartridge sliell'n'lien the barrel moves forward and to move it forward to meet the barrel as the latter returns rear ward, and place a cartridge in and close the chamber by this latter movement.

frame, a reciprocating barrel, a lever pivoted in said frame and oscillated by tlie'reciproeating movementJ of the barrel, and a magazine pivoted iii said frame and connected with said lever se that it is moved i by the oscillations of said lever in opposite directions to the movements of the barrel.

A ire arm having a frame, a barrel the frame, a spring for moving a hammer pivotally the barrel rearwardly, mounted in the frame, a magazine pivotally mounted in the frame, and means connecting the barrel and the hammer and the magazine whereby tbe forward movement of the barrel causes ay rearward movement of the hams mer and magazine, and the rearward move nient of the barrel produces a forward movenient of the magazine and hammer.

14. A fire arm having a Jframe, a reciproeatorj; barrel supported by the frame, an oscillatory hammer supported by the frame,

1Q. In a. ire arm, the combination of a.

i one position being a swinging magazine. supported bj.' the frame. a lever connecting tlmr barrel and. the hammer, and means eoiiinaiting the lianinier and the inagaziiie whereby the parte move in s riiclironisn'i bnt in opposite ebreolions.

l5). An oscillating hammer 'lor a iire arm having an oscillatorli7 breecb-block carried thereby` a firing pin rigidi;Y mounted in the bi'eecli-blocl{, a spring iiorinally holding the breech-block so'tlie liriiig pin in line with the explosive'part ei? a cartridge, and. means carried by the breech-.block b v wiiiclji `the breech-block may be oseillaed to movetlie pin om ot tiring position.

lo. A magazine for an automatic lire arm having a seiiiiinbnlar lbody with grooves for receiving tbe rims oi?? cai-iride a spring for lifting the cartridges, a .ling haelt for the iii-.igazine body, and a stop at the top of tliesaid yielding back shaped to engage and retain cartridge headsv ol normal shape, but release cartridge heads oi" abnormal shape.

i7. In a iire arm, the cf'iiiibination oi' a` reclprocatory barrel7 :i seat' tier lioldz 'ne barrel forwartha trigger for rliaeng: f iw' t-lie sear from the barrel, and an oscillating and vertically movable nonneetor iieim'een the trigger and the seal', said. coi'iiieetor in adapted to be oseillated to release the sear when the trigger is pulled. but when the Sear is illisengaged from the barrel, said connector is moved `vertically into such position that it docs notJ iifiteri'ere vvitli the oscillation of the seai.

JOHAN KEITH. i MltTlh/ER L, BllS'lCOL.

Witnesses:

H. lt.. VVILLIMiis-` Josnriiinn M. S'rnnairrnn. 

